The Interrupters - review

Friday 12 August 2011 10:33 BST

This long documentary by Steve James, of Hoop Dreams fame, wanders the violent streets of downtown Chicago with three members of Ceasefire; former delinquents now determined to save the lost as Violence Interrupters.

Thankfully it is not religion that spurs them on but the conviction that they can argue against poverty-stricken young blacks becoming criminals or destroying themselves in other ways.

Culled from 300 hours of footage, this is a brave and worthy effort, though at times it is difficult to understand what the participants are saying.